Diplomat Adds Pharmacy Benefits Management to Its Roster

Diplomat Adds Pharmacy Benefits Management to Its Roster

Pharmacy benefit management (PBM) deals have picked up slightly in 2017. With less than two months left in the year, six of these deals have been announced, up from 2016’s total of three deals. The most recent announcement is Diplomat Pharmacy Inc.’s (NYSE: DPLO) acquisition of National Pharmaceutical Services for $47 million. Diplomat, a specialty pharmaceutical company, has been active acquiring other specialty pharmacy groups over the past two years. The NPS deal marks its entry into the PBM space. Pharmaceutical Technologies, Inc., dba National Pharmaceutical Services, is a full-service pharmacy benefit manager that provides proprietary claims-processing system and offers mail-order... Read More »
Deal of the Week: Express Scripts Diversifies

Deal of the Week: Express Scripts Diversifies

Express Scripts (NASDAQ: ESRX) didn’t hedge its bets that online retail giant Amazon will enter the prescription drug delivery market.  On October 10, the leading pharmacy benefit manager (PBM) acquired South Carolina-based eviCore healthcare from its current investors, including General Atlantic, TA Associates, and Ridgemont Equity Partners, for $3.6 billion. The deal follows rumors that Amazon is contemplating entering the prescription drug delivery market in an attempt to improve price transparency for consumers and reduce out-of-pocket costs.  Last April, Express Scripts lost Anthem, Inc. (NYSE: ANTM) as a client, and with it, 18% of annual revenue. The threat of... Read More »

Bracket Changes Hands Again

It may not be news to digital health sector watchers that Bracket, a privately held clinical trial technology provider, was sold again. On March 28, 2017, San Francisco private equity firm Genstar Capital purchased the company for an undisclosed price. Bracket, a Pennsylvania-based clinical trial technology, has changed hands several times over the years. Bracket serves biotechnology and pharmaceutical companies, as well as clinial research organizations. It leverages Bracket eCOA™, a platform for electronic clinical outcomes assessments that collects information from patients (ePRO), clinicians (eClinRO) and other observers (eObsRO). The company started off as a division of United... Read More »

What’s Next for Managed Care?

The managed care mega-deals of 2015 have blown up. Aetna (NYSE: AET) and Humana (NYSE: HUM) amicably terminated their $37 billion merger, following a federal judge’s order in January to block the deal on antitrust grounds. The $1 billion termination fee was in the works. A different federal judge blocked Anthem (NYSE: ANTM) and Cigna’s (NYSE: CI) $54.2 billion merger on similar grounds. Things turned ugly quickly, as Cigna declared the deal dead and sued Anthem for the $1.85 billion termination fee, and another $13 billion in damages on behalf of its shareholders. Anthem says it will go ahead with the merger. What do the Big Five health insurers do now that they’re... Read More »

CVS Wins Omnicare Auction

Omnicare Inc. (NYSE: OCR) put itself on the market in April, with bids due in May. At the time, its market value was estimated to be about $8.5 billion. CVS Health Corp. (NYSE: CVS), Express Scripts Holding Co. (NASDAQ: ESRX), McKesson Corp. (NYSE: MCK) and Walgreens Boots Alliance Inc. (NASDAQ: WBA) were expected to kick the tires. Last week, CVS won the deal with $12.7 billion, including $2.3 billion in debt. Omnicare’s big draw is its specialty pharmaceutical business focused on assisted living and long-term care facilities. The deal follows UnitedHealth Group’s (NYSE: UNH) $12.8 billion acquisition of pharmacy benefits manager Catamaran Corp. (NASDAQ: CTRX) in March and Rite Aid... Read More »